Arizona drubs Cal to snap 7-game losing streak

The Wildcats pick up their first win since Jan. 19

The Arizona Wildcats’ historic losing streak is finally over.

Hosting the only Pac-12 team stuck in a deeper funk, Arizona routed the California Golden Bears 76-51 on Thursday to snap a seven-game losing, which was its longest skid since 1982-83.

The Wildcats went more than a month without a victory, their last win coming all the back on Jan. 19 against Oregon State. Cal (5-21, 0-14) has now lost 15 in a row, falling in further jeopardy of becoming the first Pac-12 team to go winless in conference play since OSU in 2007-08.

Ryan Luther, playing in his penultimate homestand, tied a season high in points (19) and 3-pointers (5). It’s the senior’s third straight game making four or more 3s, playing his best basketball since transferring from Pitt.

At one point, Luther scored eight straight points to give UA a 15-point lead with 17:10 left in the second half. The Wildcats never looked back, leading by double figures the rest of the way.

Devonaire Doutrive filled up the stat sheet, pairing a career-high 11 points with six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

As temperatures dipped into the 40s outside McKale Center, Cal’s shooting touch proved to be just as chilling. The Bears shot just 30 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3. Leading scorer Justice Sueing dropped 18 points, but needed 16 shots to do it.

Arizona struggled early, scoring just 10 points in the first 10 minutes, but wound up shooting a respectable 49 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3.

The Wildcats led 30-20 at the half and outscored the Bears by 15 in the final 20 minutes. Arizona led by as many as 27, unleashing all the pent-up frustration it built up over the last month.

The Wildcats were leading 10-9 midway through the first half when they used a 9-0 run to build a 19-9 lead with 7:19 left in the period. Doutrive accounted for five of those points, sinking a 3 and two free throws.

Arizona’s bench tallied 15 points in the first half and finished with 31.

Cal missed 16 of its first 20 shots, but cut UA’s lead to 19-14 after two free throws by Sueing. Luther buried a corner 3 to put the Wildcats up 24-16 with three minutes left, hit again to make it 30-20, then drilled consecutive triples early in the second half as Arizona pulled away with ease.

The Wildcats will try to complete the weekend sweep Sunday against Stanford. Arizona won the first matchup in Palo Alto, 75-70.

This story will be updated.

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